208 ANIMAL COLOEATION. 



of excellerice'was reached. Viewed in this light, the wonderful 

 perfection of mimetic forms is a natural consequence of the 

 selection of the individuals that, on the one side, were more 

 and more mimetic, and, on the other (that of their enemies), 

 more and more able to penetrate through the assumed dis- 

 guises." 



If the few iQstances of mimicry given in the preceding 

 pages were typical of the colour and form resemblances that 

 exist between animals not showing any special affinity, no 

 other theory than that of Mr. Bates could be considered, and 

 its truth would be very convincingly shown. 



Resemblances among more or less remotely Allied Animals which, 

 perhaps, cannot be put down to Mimicry. 



But these instances are only a part of a much wider series 

 of resemblances between more or less remotely allied forms ; 

 they are only the extreme cases. Such resemblances have 

 been long familiar to naturalists, and they cannot be ex- 

 plained on the theory first suggested by Mr. Bates. 



Many of the oases of mimicry, which fall within Mr. Wallace's 

 definition, show a resemblance in form as well as colour and 

 markings between two otherwise dissimilar creatures. 



Resemblances in form alone may exist, and have given risr 

 to erroneous systems of classification on the supposition that 

 external form implied affinity. Belon and other naturalists 

 before and after, classified the Whales among fishes ; while 

 there are several Lizards, of which our common blindworm 

 is a familiar example, and the Amphisbaena, which have a 

 snake-like habit. 



No doubt these animals, in departing from the form 

 characteristic of their nearest allies, and acquiring that of 

 more distantly related species, have simply yielded to the 



